Vehicular vision system with accelerated determination of another vehicle

Abstract

A vehicular sensing system includes a data processor disposed at a vehicle, a camera disposed at an in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield, and a range sensor disposed at the vehicle and having a field of sensing that overlaps a portion of the field of view of the camera. During a driving maneuver of the vehicle, the system detects another vehicle that is located within the radar sensors field of sensing and outside of the camera's field of view and determines movement of the range sensor-detected other vehicle relative to the vehicle. When the range sensor-detected other vehicle enters the field of view of the camera, the system, at least in part via processing at the data processor of image data captured by the camera, determines that the range sensor-detected other vehicle is an object of interest. A system output is provided for use by a driving assist system.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicular sensing system, said vehicular sensing system comprising:
 a data processor disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vehicular sensing system; 
 a camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of the equipped vehicle and having a field of view through the windshield exterior and at least forward of the equipped vehicle, wherein said camera comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor; 
 wherein said camera is operable to capture image data; 
 wherein image data captured by said camera is provided to said data processor, and wherein image data captured by said camera and provided to said data processor is processed at said data processor; 
 a range sensor disposed at the equipped vehicle and having a field of sensing at least forward of the equipped vehicle; 
 wherein the field of sensing of said range sensor overlaps a portion of the field of view of said camera; 
 wherein, during a driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle, and responsive at least in part to sensor data captured by said range sensor, said vehicular sensing system detects an object that is located within the field of sensing of said range sensor and outside of the field of view of said camera and determines movement of the range sensor-detected object relative to the equipped vehicle; 
 wherein, during the driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle and responsive at least in part to sensor data captured by said range sensor, information derived from the sensor data captured by said range sensor when the range sensor-detected object is located within the field of sensing of said range sensor and outside of the field of view of said camera is communicated to said data processor, and wherein the communicated information pertains to the range sensor-detected object; 
 wherein, when the range sensor-detected object enters the field of view of said camera, said vehicular sensing system, at least in part via processing at said data processor of image data captured by said camera and provided to said data processor and based on the communicated information pertaining to the range sensor-detected object, determines that the range sensor-detected object is another vehicle; and 
 wherein an output of said vehicular sensing system is provided for use by at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein, during the driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle, and responsive at least in part to sensor data captured by said range sensor, said vehicular sensing system determines that the range sensor-detected object is moving relative to the equipped vehicle toward the field of view of said camera. 
     
     
       3. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein said data processor comprises an image processing chip. 
     
     
       4. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein said range sensor comprises a radar sensor. 
     
     
       5. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein said range sensor comprises a lidar sensor. 
     
     
       6. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the field of view of said camera is 52 degrees or less forward of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
       7. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the output of said range sensor is provided to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system and (ii) a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system. 
     
     
       8. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 7 , comprising a vehicle interface processor that receives the output of said range sensor and receives an output of said data processor, and wherein said vehicle interface processor communicates hypothesis information to said data processor for determination that the range sensor-detected object is another vehicle. 
     
     
       9. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , comprising a vehicle interface processor that receives the output of said range sensor and receives an output of said data processor. 
     
     
       10. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 9 , wherein said vehicle interface processor communicates hypothesis information to said data processor for determination, via processing at said data processor of image data captured by said camera and provided to said data processor, that the range sensor-detected object is another vehicle. 
     
     
       11. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle comprises an adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
       12. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle comprises a lane departure warning system of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
       13. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle comprises a headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
       14. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein, during the driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle, said vehicular sensing system determines that the range sensor-detected object is moving relative to the equipped vehicle at least in part responsive to a global positioning system. 
     
     
       15. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 14 , wherein the global positioning system is part of a navigation system of the vehicle. 
     
     
       16. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 1 , wherein image data captured by said camera is stored in a recycling memory of the vehicle as a continuous running loop of a predetermined time period. 
     
     
       17. A vehicular sensing system, said vehicular sensing system comprising:
 a data processor disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vehicular sensing system; 
 a camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of the equipped vehicle and having a field of view through the windshield exterior and at least forward of the equipped vehicle, wherein said camera comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor; 
 wherein said camera is operable to capture image data; 
 wherein image data captured by said camera is provided to said data processor, and wherein image data captured by said camera and provided to said data processor is processed at said data processor; 
 a radar sensor disposed at the equipped vehicle and having a field of sensing at least forward of the equipped vehicle; 
 wherein the field of sensing of said radar sensor overlaps a portion of the field of view of said camera; 
 wherein, during a driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle, and responsive at least in part to radar data captured by said radar sensor, said vehicular sensing system detects an object that is located within the field of sensing of said radar sensor and outside of the field of view of said camera and determines movement of the radar-detected object relative to the equipped vehicle; 
 wherein, during the driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle and responsive at least in part to radar data captured by said radar sensor, information derived from the radar data captured by said radar sensor when the radar-detected object is located within the field of sensing of said radar sensor and outside of the field of view of said camera is communicated to said data processor, and wherein the communicated information pertains to the radar-detected object; 
 wherein, when the radar-detected object enters the field of view of said camera, said vehicular sensing system, at least in part via processing at said data processor of image data captured by said camera and provided to said data processor and based on the communicated information pertaining to the radar-detected object, determines that the radar-detected object is another vehicle; 
 wherein an output of said vehicular sensing system is provided for use by at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle; and 
 wherein the at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle comprises a headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle and at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a lane departure warning system of the equipped vehicle and (ii) an adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle. 
 
     
     
       18. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 17 , wherein, during the driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle, and responsive at least in part to radar data captured by said radar sensor, said vehicular sensing system determines that the radar-detected object is moving relative to the equipped vehicle toward the field of view of said camera. 
     
     
       19. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 17 , wherein said data processor comprises an image processing chip. 
     
     
       20. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 17 , wherein the output of said radar sensor is provided to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system and (ii) a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system. 
     
     
       21. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle comprises (i) the lane departure warning system of the equipped vehicle and (ii) the adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle. 
     
     
       22. A vehicular sensing system, said vehicular sensing system comprising:
 a data processor disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vehicular sensing system; 
 a camera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of the equipped vehicle and having a field of view through the windshield exterior and at least forward of the equipped vehicle, wherein said camera comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor; 
 wherein said camera is operable to capture image data; 
 wherein image data captured by said camera is provided to said data processor, and wherein image data captured by said camera and provided to said data processor is processed at said data processor; 
 a lidar sensor disposed at the equipped vehicle and having a field of sensing at least forward of the equipped vehicle; 
 wherein the field of sensing of said lidar sensor overlaps a portion of the field of view of said camera; 
 wherein, during a driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle, and responsive at least in part to lidar data captured by said lidar sensor, said vehicular sensing system detects an object that is located within the field of sensing of said lidar sensor and outside of the field of view of said camera and determines movement of the lidar-detected object relative to the equipped vehicle; 
 wherein, during the driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle and responsive at least in part to lidar data captured by said lidar sensor, information derived from the lidar data captured by said lidar sensor when the lidar-detected object is located within the field of sensing of said lidar sensor and outside of the field of view of said camera is communicated to said data processor, and wherein the communicated information pertains to the lidar-detected object; 
 wherein, when the lidar-detected object enters the field of view of said camera, said vehicular sensing system, at least in part via processing at said data processor of image data captured by said camera and provided to said data processor and based on the communicated information pertaining to the lidar-detected object, determines that the lidar-detected object is another vehicle; 
 wherein an output of said vehicular sensing system is provided for use by at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle; and 
 wherein the at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle comprises a headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle and at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a lane departure warning system of the equipped vehicle and (ii) an adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle. 
 
     
     
       23. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 22 , wherein, during the driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle, and responsive at least in part to lidar data captured by said lidar sensor, said vehicular sensing system determines that the lidar-detected object is moving relative to the equipped vehicle toward the field of view of said camera. 
     
     
       24. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 22 , wherein said data processor comprises an image processing chip. 
     
     
       25. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 22 , wherein the output of said lidar sensor is provided to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system and (ii) a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system. 
     
     
       26. The vehicular sensing system of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle comprises (i) the lane departure warning system of the equipped vehicle and (ii) the adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle.